Clothes drier



Nov. 13, 1928. v 1,691,042

D. BELL CLOTHES DRIER Filed April 4, .1927 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 13, 1928.

D. BELL CLOTHES DRIER 4 sheets-sheet 4 "Fild April 4, 1927 drying machine.

Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL BELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INVINCIBLE LAUNDRY EQUIP- HINT 00., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

I cno'rnns mama.

This invention relates to a clothes drier of the rotary type and concerns itself more particularly with the interior structure of the drying cylinder which is adapted for re-' tainin a plurality of clothes holding units in WhlCh the clothes are kept separate durin the rotation of the cylinders.

he invention comprises the novel structure and combinations of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompan ing drawings'which illustrate a preferre embodiment of this invention and in which similar reference nu-. merals refer to similar features in the different views: a

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a drying machine involving this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken upon the line II-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure '4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken upon the line IV-IV of Figure 1, showing parts in elevation.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken upon the line VI-VI of Figure 2, with the exhaust fan shown in elevation. I Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the clothes holding units. 7 l

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line VHF-VIII of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational viewlooking from the left hand side of Fi re 1.

igure 10 is a fragmentary rear eleva tional view showing the damper regulation for the air exit passage.

As shown on the drawings: As an exemplification of. this invention, there is shown a casing 1 having a lower rectangular portion provided with a heating chamber between the members 2 as shown inFigure 2. Suitable steam heating pipes 3 or the like are located in the heating chamher for supplying the heatin medium. The lower rectangular portion the casing merges into an upper cylindrical portion 1" in which therotary drying element is supported. With reference to Figure 3 it will Application filed April 4, 1927. Serial No. 180,650.

The drying element consists of a plurality of compartments for removably receiving the clothes holding units 6 shown in perspective view in Figure 7. Each clothes holding unit is in the form of a draweror box-like structure provided with a perforated bottom 7 and an open top. The compartments are formed by circular end plates 8 (Figures 2 and 3) which are connected and maintained in spaced relation by the connecting plates 9 which are provided with terminal flanges 9 secured to the end plates. The top of each compartment is formed by a perforated plate lO-provided with terminal flanges 11 secured to the side plates 8. These plates are provided with non-perforate right angledportions 12 which connect with a plate 9 whereby a hollow interior cruciform like structure is provided through which the hot air is not adapted to pass, thereby causing the hot air to circulate around the central closed cruciform chamber, and through the drying units which surround such chamber. The top plate 10 of each compartment is provided with a latch rear of the casing. The. front bearing 15 has fixed therein an operating shaft 19 which is journalled in a suitable bearing 20 supported on an angle 21 extending from the front end of the casing; A worm gear 22 is loosely mounted upon the outer ends of the shaft 19. This worm gear 22 is provided with a hub adapted for forming one member of a jaw clutch. The other member 23 of the jaw clutch is slidingly splined upon the shaft 19. This movable clutch member 23 is provided with the usual groove for receiving the yoke 24 of a shipper lever 25 (Figure 1) which is pivoted at an intermediate point as indicated at 26. The end of the shipper lever 25 is provided with an upright end 27 which is shown more clearly in Figure 9 and which extends adjacent a switch box S that controls the motor. This upright end has a laterally extending stop arm 28 which is adapted to extend across the path 29 of the switch lever 30 which starts and stops the motor. The arm 28 is adapted to be either below or above the switch lever 30 so that the motor cannot be started or cannot be stopped until the clutch lever 27 has been actuated for disengaging the clutch from the worm gear 22. Consequently the motor cannot he accidentally started if something should strike or come in contact with the switch lever when working around the machine during the loading or unloading thereof.

The motor is indicated at 31. It is su ported on a platform 32 extending from t e front end of the casing. The motor is provided with an elongated shaft 33 which is provided with a worm 34 that meshes with the worm gear 22. Beyond the worm 34 there is a aw clutch member 35 upon the motor sha which is adapted for engagement b a jaw clutch 36 on a hand crank 37 which is rotatably mounted upon the end of the shaft. When the machine has been stopped and it is desired to remove the clothes holding units, the operator may manually rotate the drying element through the instrumentality of the crank 37 for bringing the compartments into alignment with a door 38 on the casing so that the unit 3 may be removed or inserted with respect to their compartments.

As before related, the hot air will pass up through the perforated tops and bottoms of the drying units 6 and thoroughly dry the clothes therein during the revolution of the drying element. The hot air escapes through a passage 39 which is formed by the outer wall of the casing 1 and an inner wall 40 which consists of a plate member having terminal flanges 41 attached to the rear end of the casing, The aforementioned passage 39 communicates with a pipe 42 (Figures 2 and 6) which leads to a fan 43 which is driven by a motor 44 and which is controlled by a switch box S. The motor 44 is supported upon a suitable platform 46, the fan'43 and platform 46 being supported upon a frame 47 adajacent the front face of the casing as shown in Figure 2. The fan 43 is illustrated as of the rotary type having an upper exhaust passage 48.

The amount of hot air passing through the drying chamber may be regulated by a damper 49 (Figure 3) in the passage 39.

The damper is secured to a suitable rod which extends through the casing and is provided with a handle 50 which is shown more clearly in Figure 10. This handle is provided with a suitable locking detent for engaging depressions 51 in the rear wall of the casing, Obviously the adjustment of the handle 50 will re ulate the damper to control the amount of air passing through the dr ing chamber.

Wit reference to Figure 5 it will be noted that the lower front portion of the heating chamber is provided with a perforated section 52 for the admission of air to the heatin chamber.

uring the operation of this machine it will be obvious that due to the plate 4 and the imperforate cruciform interior of the rotary clothes unit holder, most of the hot air is compelled to pass around the left hand portion of the drying chamber as viewed in Figure 3. It cannot take a short cut to the suction passage 39 and thus evade certain clothes units. It will also be appreciated that the clothes are securely confined in each compartment, making it impossible for clothes in different compartments to become mixed. Each drawer or unit 1s adapted to contain the clothes of one customer. It is therefore necessary that the clothes in each drawer be kept separate from those in an other drawer. It should be further noted that the door 38 of the casing is located so that the drawers will be in horizontal position, with their open tops directly upwardl when the same are removed or inserted wit respect to their compartments.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range withoutdeparting from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not pur ose limiting the patent granted hereon, ot er wise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a clothes drying machine, a rotary member having a central closed chamber, and compartments around said closed chamber, and individual clothes holding units removably confined in said compartments.

2. In a dryin machine, a rotary member having a plura it of compartments closed at their inner end; and perforated at their outer ends, and material holding units in said compartments 3. In a drying machine, a rotary member having a pluralit of compartments closed at their inner en s and perforated at their outer ends, means inconnection with said closed inner ends for providing a central closed chamber and a container removably retained in each compartment.

4. In a drying machine, a rotary member having means providing a closed interior central chamber, a plurality of comparttop, and a container having a perforated bottom removably supported upon said guide 10 members. I In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

DANIEL BELL. 

